Declan McKenna talks Britrock, reaching radio, making it in America and more

Whatever fame and fortune awaits Declan McKenna on what should be a very long career, he can say it all started in St. Petersburg.

Okay, not all of it. By the time McKenna made his U.S. debut at Jannus Live in 2016, he was already a British alt-rock prodigy, having played Glastonbury 2015 at age 16.

Still, McKenna has clear and fond memories of his first-ever stateside gig.

"The first place I ever landed in America was Tampa," McKenna said recently by phone from London. "At the time I hadn't played so many crowds that size, and on a stage that big, with my own handmade one-man-band setup. It was a bit daunting. But I remember really enjoying it."

McKenna, now 19, returns Thursday for a gig at Crowbar, his first local headlining show in support of his precociously polished 2017 album What Do You Think About the Car? Click here for details.